Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 163: Message
Prophecy.
Hearing the familiar word, Lynn’s heart skipped a beat. Their trip to the Dragon’s Lair coincidentally matched a prophecy. Now another one appeared, making it hard to believe it was just a coincidence.
She kept her expression unchanged. “Uh, weren’t the Priest Serpent Clan extinct? And I’ve heard that prophets are rare…”
“Amazon locked one up with a magic collar and hid it in a private space. This isn’t the usual treatment for serpentmen, and I was present at the prophecy.” Barto slightly lifted his chin.
Lynn waited for him to blurt out the prophecy, but instead, Barto stopped there. It seemed he wasn’t as foolish as she thought, which Lynn found somewhat disappointing.
“Thank you for the information. I’ll discuss it with my companions. Such important information, Miss Dorothy probably wouldn’t intentionally hide it.” Lynn nodded as if obediently, pretending to leave.
Playing the long game to catch the big fish. Against such people, one must not appear too eager.
Barto’s face showed disappointment, and after a few seconds, he couldn’t contain himself. “What do you think about this?”
Lynn put on an innocently puzzled face. “Which matter?”
“Amazon imprisoning an innocent serpentman.” Barto deliberately made his voice sound naive and sweet. “The Priest Serpents aren’t bad. Capturing their prophet to use as a prophecy puppet is too much.”
“It is a bit, but the priority now is to eliminate monsters…” Lynn responded, her interest piqued as she returned his gaze.
In the face of war, what exactly does this guy want to do?
Thinking such thoughts openly in front of someone he just met, Barto probably thought she’s the “Saint” of the team. Holy professions indeed couldn’t stand the enslavement of the weak… Unfortunately, the ability of the “Supreme Domination Witch” is pretty much as it sounds—destined to enslave the weak.
However, this misunderstanding was interesting, and Lynn chose to quietly watch Barto perform.
“The prophecy of war is already completed. Amazon is fully focused on the enemy.” Barto lowered his voice. “I can steal the key, and we can free the serpentman in the chaos. Given the current situation, Amazon won’t have the energy to look for her… she’ll be free!”
After saying this, Barto sighed deliberately. “I’m a bit unconfident on my own. It would be great if you could help me.”
He was seeking a declaration of comradeship*; Lynn saw through his purpose at a glance.
*The term used here is (投名状) which is a certificate of investment. It refers to demonstrating loyalty through action towards an organization (a pledge of loyalty to join a group). || In this case, basically, by having both Lynn and him act together to “free” Lilith it means they agree to join forces.
It was clear Barto really wanted to get close to “Drake” and his party, using Amazon as a stepping stone.
What a schemer.
“That’s not good, is it?” Lynn “innocently” asked back, “Aren’t the Alva Merchant Group and Amazon in long-term cooperation? If you do this, what about the Merchant Group…”
“Don’t worry. I’m confident I can handle it.” Barto patted his chest. “Anyway, I can’t bear to see that poor serpentman suffer. Ah, if you’re worried about the cooperation, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
After saying this, Barto showed a dejected expression.
Lynn pondered for less than two seconds before showing a sympathetic face. “I understand. As long as it doesn’t affect the main quest, I’ll help you.”
“You’re as saintly as the rumors say,” Barto remarked.
Lynn: “…You flatter me.”
Wrong person, asshole. The real “saintly” one is still snoring in the tent.
Five minutes later.
“Thanks for the information. Let her be,” Dorothy said tiredly. “If possible, you can accompany her. With someone like you watching, at least there won’t be a big mess.”
“I’ve met many people. You don’t seem like the type to imprison the innocent,” Lynn explained properly. “Is this really okay?”
Due to the incident at the Brick Mountains, Lynn had a good impression of Dorothy. Imprisoning an innocent girl, she believed her fellow compatriots wouldn’t do such a heartless act; there must be a deeper reason.
Dorothy smiled bitterly. “It’s a bit complicated… Anyway, she won’t settle down unless she causes me some trouble. Rather than waiting for her to surprise me, it’s better to let her satisfy herself with this matter.”
Seeing Dorothy’s attitude, it seemed she’s too lazy to bother with Barto.
‘Interesting,’ Lynn thought.
Judging by Dorothy’s demeanor, the serpentman wasn’t “strictly imprisoned”. It seemed there was some kind of understanding with Amazon… Anyway, she now owed her a favor.
“That lady mentioned, the serpentman gave a prophecy.”
Lynn straightforwardly got to the point. “We’re very interested in this prophecy. Please name your price.”
……
Guest tent.
As the sun rose, Teest returned on time. He took out salted meat, cheese, and water from his pouch, devouring them not so much as eating but as if charging a magical device.
“So,” Painter said while stuffing salted meat into sliced bread. “You went to see Mr. Nol again last night.”
“Yeah.” Teest chewed the salted meat. “It’s normal for married people to sleep together. But you, leaving Lynn alone like that?”
“Given This Villain’s special identity, Barto not noticing doesn’t mean the Amazon leader won’t. Plus, Lynn knows them better than I do, so it’s more appropriate for her to negotiate.”
“Alright.” Teest shrugged indifferently.
Even though he had agreed to play the Hero, he still couldn’t find enthusiasm for these people. To be precise, without Nol nearby, everything else became 50% more boring.
Painter stared at him for a while. “You’re in better shape than a while ago.”
“Because I’ve had a great idea,” Teest said. “Don’t ask, you wouldn’t like it—just show off your ‘sly fox’ skills to keep those ‘Players’ happy.”
“It’s my honor.” Painter chuckled dryly, not pressing further.
On matters related to Nol, he trusted the Mad Monk wouldn’t lie. It was hard for things on the battlefield to go as planned; he just needed to keep a close eye.
Thinking this, Painter bit into the salted meat. Its flavor was rich and much more delicious than the bland varieties found in the market. He swallowed a piece of bread in two or three bites and reached for his plate again.
“This was all prepared for Nol.” Teest suddenly said, “Too bad, he won’t be able to eat it—catching thornworms is quite hard. This one will spoil if not eaten soon, and who knows when the next one will be caught.”
Painter’s fork trembled slightly, then steadied. Pretending to hear nothing, he took another large piece.
Teest: “Tsk.”
“Big news!” Lynn burst into the tent. “Amazon also has a prophecy… Hm? The salted meat smells good.”
“It’s thornworm salted meat,” Right after Lynn tasted a bite, Painter cheerfully said.
Lynn: “…”
Lynn: “…Blergh!”
“…Are you really a ‘Saint’?” After vomiting, Lynn wiped her mouth. “Tell me, how did you deceive the system?”
Painter chewed the salted meat unconcernedly. “By my honest virtues.”
Lynn looked like she wanted to smack him, but politely held back. “Anyway, let me tell you about Amazon’s prophecy…”
After the prophecy was recounted, the lively atmosphere once again turned solemn.
“It’s almost the same.” Teest narrowed his eyes.
Where dragons are born, where mistakes converge. The Master of the world returns to the start of the dream…
Next, on their side, it was “You will find what you have lost...” while on Amazon’s side, it was “He will grant you the way home.“
Lost knowledge is reset, and pursued desires are fulfilled. You/You* will receive the aid of fate…
*Clarity: Former is formal form of you, while latter is informal. In Nol’s prophecy, it’s the formal form.
Next, on their side, it was “You will find the answer you seek”, while on Amazon’s side, it was “You will witness a noble sacrifice.”
The content of the prophecies was highly similar, and the situations they presented were incredibly alike. It was almost like the same drama being explained to different characters by a certain being.
The lost things, the way home, the sought-after answers—these descriptions were rather ambiguous and hard to define. The problem was the “noble sacrifice”…
Both pairs of eyes simultaneously turned towards Painter.
Painter: “…”
Painter: “Thanks for the recognition, but the problem is I’m not dead yet.”
“How wonderful. You can think of your epitaph in advance,” Teest said. “It’s also not too late to leave a ten-thousand-word will now. Do you need paper and pen?”
“No thanks. I’ve written my will long ago.”
Lynn remained silent, only looking at the prophecy. The outcome of this battle seemed somewhat optimistic for now. But that “noble sacrifice” was really ominous. Could there be any chance of avoiding it?
Perhaps sacrificing something else…
Unfortunately, Perradat, who knew prophecies, wasn’t present, and they could only guess along the way. Now it was different; now she truly had someone to consult. To better understand these prophecies, she must meet the serpentman prophet in person.
“Amazon has decided to attack the undead dragon tomorrow.” Lynn mused as she gnawed on bread.
Teest clapped his hands happily. “Great. I was worried we wouldn’t have enough time—this timing is good. I need to go out for a bit later.”
Painter: “Perfect, I can draw some more scrolls to have on hand.”
“I also have things to do.” Lynn made up her mind. “So we’ll act separately.”
“No problem.”
“Agreed.”
Luring Barto out turned out to be much easier than Lynn had imagined. With Dorothy’s tacit consent, Barto actually managed to steal the keys. Lynn watched Barto’s smug face, trying hard to suppress the pity in her heart.
While Dorothy was out of the tent for lunch, Barto led her into the serpentman prophet’s secret tent.
Sensing the presence of outsiders, the serpentman prophet straightened up instantly. A large magical collar hung around her neck, and her eyes… Her eyes were filled with white light?
When Lynn looked again, the white light was gone, leaving only the serpentman’s deep yellow pupils.
It watched them for a while, then slowly smiled.
“Do you seek to know your fate?”
Barto let out a short “eh” and then, glancing at Lynn, cleared his throat with pretense. “We’re here to free you, miss.”
‘Here it comes,’ Lynn thought. If the serpentman really had a secret agreement with Amazon, this was the best moment to refuse—claiming the collar couldn’t be opened, citing danger from the outside—such polite refusals weren’t hard to imagine.
The serpentman seemed briefly confused for two seconds, appearing dizzy. Lynn looked into her eyes, within the deep yellow pupils and around the black slit pupils, there was a thin, bright silver rim.
Is it a characteristic of the Priest Serpent Clan? This species’ survivors were too few, and none were in the Lost Tower, so she wasn’t sure.
“Free me…” the serpentman prophet chewed on the phrase, her pupils gradually focusing. “Yes, yes. Please save me. Take me away from here!”
Her attitude was very eager. “I don’t want to stay here anymore. Please protect me and take me away. Afterward, you can have as many prophecies as you want, please.”
Eh? Lynn’s brow twitched.
The serpentman prophet was in good shape and appeared well. Her environment was clean and comfortable, with no signs of rough treatment on her body.
That collar was also suspicious… Judging by the “Supreme Domination Witch’s” perception, it didn’t have strong dominating magic. It seemed more like a decoration than a confinement tool. Not to mention, Dorothy didn’t object to her “rescuing”.
What’s going on with this prophet?
Lynn: “You—”
“My name is Lilith.” The serpentman prophet continued pitifully, slithering to Lynn’s feet and grabbing her skirt. “Save me, kind soul…!”
“See?” Barto turned around. “Those Amazons really are despicable.”
In fact, Barto was also confused about the serpentman prophet’s change in personality. Anyway, saying so had no downside.
Lynn pondered. “The Amazons are all outside now. You can wait.”
She needed to investigate further.
“No—!”
Lilith clutched her skirt tighter, piercing the fabric with her sharp nails. “I have an invisibility potion. I can hide and come with you. Isn’t there going to be a fight outside? With me, I can help you avoid the worst outcome! If—if you don’t agree, I’ll trigger the alarm here, and we’ll all be done for!”
Her tone was full of despair, threatening them incoherently.
The situation became even stranger. Lynn looked down at the tearful serpentman. Regardless of the cost, she must leave today? Was it the prophet’s instinct warning her of a crisis, or… something else?
She looked up at Barto. “Miss, I think I should take her to Drake first—her condition doesn’t seem good, and it’s not safe outside. I worry you can’t take care of her alone.”
“Of course, thank you,” Barto said “earnestly”.
Being seen as a good person without needing to follow up, and even incidentally owing a favor, this was a win for him.
“Wuwu…” Lilith showed a relieved expression, tears streaming down her face.
Barto stepped forward, gently patting her back, not forgetting to whisper softly for appearances. Lynn stood upright, watching the two with a flash of coldness in her eyes.
She silently moved her lips, muttering something. After a dozen seconds, she put on a pitying smile, bent down, and placed her hands on both their shoulders.
“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “It’s all over.”
A dim glow flashed across her fingertips.
……
Last night, Nol sat under the night sky.
It took him a full three minutes to realize this.
For him at this moment, thinking was an incredibly difficult task. If a normal person’s thought process is a straight line, his brain was now filled with countless grains of sand.
Sand enough to obliterate reason.
Just the words “I” and “night sky” required a great effort for him to match the concepts.
…What is the night sky? What am I doing? What am I?
…Do I exist?
…What is existence?
A sandstorm spread over the parched soul while meaningless words flew everywhere. Even on the eve of a severe illness-induced coma, Nol’s thoughts had never been this faint.
His perspective seemed to shatter into a kaleidoscope, each piece pointing in different directions, occasionally spinning and splitting. The life on Earth, the life as a will-o’-wisp, Nol’s life… and many bizarre, unexplained fragments played in his head in disarray.
Fighting against this overwhelming chaos was like humans trying to resist a tsunami. Maintaining the last bit of clarity was as difficult as keeping a candle lit in a storm.
But he had a small, shining anchor.
In the boundless night, amid scattered and chaotic views, he saw Teest.
Teest was talking, Teest was smiling at him, Teest was lying on his legs, spreading out his body relaxedly. That silver hair flowed over strange flesh as if everything was normal.
Nol reached out his hand with difficulty, stroking those strands of hair and the knight’s warm cheek.
This is Teest, Nol’s spouse.
I am Nol.
This is Teest, Nol’s knight.
I am Nol.
This is Teest, the person I love.
I am Nol.
The hair slipped through his “hand”, but he could not feel its presence. His senses were a mess— cold, hot, pain, itchiness blossoming everywhere… but he wanted to touch that hair. How close it was.
If only he could regain a bit of sensation.
Fighting this omnipresent chaos, he had a small goal. His fingertips.
Nor desperately tried to organize his chaotic senses, searching for the familiar touch hidden among them—soft, smooth, slightly cool. Teest’s hair.
It always calmed him.
Finally, his fingertips regained some sensation, honestly conveying the texture of the strands.
‘Good,’ Nol thought. But he was a bit greedy… He wanted more warmth, to find his own palm…
For two whole hours, more difficult suppression and combing through. He touched warm skin and the scars and blood on it.
Teest was injured. Not good.
He wanted more. He wanted more clarity, enough to make him sober so he could systematically treat a wound…
The boundless chaos didn’t disappear, but he forcefully tore open a gap. His thoughts were no longer like fine sand scattered in a storm; they gradually settled, becoming solid and firm.
After the treatment, Nol stroked Teest’s hair over and over.
He stabilized his current feelings, trying to slowly gather his scattered thoughts.
Just when he was finally able to think normally, an extremely distorted pop-up window appeared in front of Nol.
[Warning! Warning! The knowledge seal is experiencing abnormal interference. Please remove the abnormal factors as soon as possible!]
[Warning! Warning! The knowledge seal is experiencing abnormal interference. Please remove the abnormal factors as soon as possible!]
[Warning! Warning! The knowledge seal is experiencing abnormal interference. Please remove the abnormal factors as soon as possible!]
After several pop-ups, a new window floated out.
[Condition met. You have received a message record…]
[Do not unlock the seal under any circumstances—!]
[From: Xu Yue]
The author has something to say:
Healing is truly in the touch—!!!
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